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05/14/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics were able to put the NBA's best player, LeBron James, in the rear view mirror and are now moving on to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three years.
Things don't figure to get any easier for the C's, however, as the well- rested, red-hot Orlando Magic, the defending conference champs and a far more well-rounded team than James' Cleveland Cavaliers, lay in wait.
Kevin Garnett had 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Celtics beat Cleveland, 94-85, in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal set on Thursday. Rajon Rondo contributed 21 points, 12 assists and five steals for Boston, which gained the 4-2 series victory by winning the final three games.
"I'm really not that proud of this, truthfully because our goal was to win a championship," forward Paul Pierce said. "We didn't say we wanted to come into this year and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. Our goal is a championship."
The second-seeded Magic will have home-court advantage against Boston, which came into the playoffs seeded fourth. The Magic, who beat Boston in seven games in the conference semifinals last year, are a perfect 8-0 this postseason and have won 14 straight games dating back to the regular season.
Orlando finished its semifinals series back on May 10 when Vince Carter struck for 22 points and Orlando made 16 shots from beyond the arc, as the Magic advanced to the East finals for a second straight year, beating Southeast Division-rival Atlanta, 98-84, to finish off another playoff sweep.
Orlando's dominance over Atlanta was breathtaking. The Magic recorded the largest victory margin in a four-game sweep in NBA playoff history, winning the series by a total of 101 points.
"That's always the goal," Carter said. "Just like every other team that enters the playoffs, when you want to show your dominance it's definitely the playoff time. I think we've done that."
The Magic also swept Charlotte in the first round before disposing of the Hawks in the conference semifinals.
"I think it's good, but last year Cleveland won their first eight and then we beat them in the conference finals," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "The one thing you have to understand about playoff basketball, you've got to get beyond the last game in the last series. It has no meaning for the game or the series coming up whatsoever. You go in with good confidence, you get a little bit of rest, but it will all come down to how you play in the next matchup."
Orlando won three of four games vs. the Celtics in the regular season this year and has taken both playoff matchups between the two franchises, last year's Eastern Conference semifinals set and a first round win back in the 19994-95 season.
"I'm confident we're going to get the effort," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of the upcoming series "I keep pushing our guys about focus."
MATCHUPS:
POINT GUARD: These two teams are littered with stars but Orlando's Jameer Nelson and Rondo have been the top players on each respective club during the postseason. Nelson has led the Magic in scoring (20.5 ppg) and assists (5.3) during the playoffs and has returned to the All-Star form he showed in the first half of last season before going down with a shoulder injury.
The former Saint Joseph's star was is a steady point guard that can be counted on to run things smoothly even when things are going south. Nelson has turned it over just 11 times in 266 minutes this postseason. He is undersized and can be a liability at the defensive end at times but Nelson is a much better pure shooter than his counterpart, Rondo.
"I say they are better (than last year). Not only because of Vince Carter but because of Jameer Nelson," TNT analyst Kenny Smith said. "Last year, that was such a weak link in their armor (the point guard position) when they got to the NBA Finals."
Despite the lack of a top-tier jumper, the ultra-quick Rondo has been able to dominate again this postseason. The Kentucky product nearly averaged a triple- double in last year's playoffs and is putting up similar numbers this year.
Rondo has led Boston in scoring at 18.0 ppg and assists (11.1) so far this postseason while contributing 6.3 rebounds. His ability to get on the boards really showed up against Mo Williams and Cleveland, while his floor game and decision making improves on a daily basis. The book on Rondo is simple, sag off him and make him take that suspect jumper but that's easier said than done.
EDGE: EVEN
SHOOTING GUARD: Carter, an eight-time All-Star, isn't the same player he once was in Toronto or New Jersey but he can still light it up and take over a game at times. You certainly can't expect big-time production consistently from Carter these days but when the jumper is falling, he is still very tough to check.
Ray Allen is one of the finest pure shooters to ever play the game and the veteran guard is showing no signs of slowing down, especially in the postseason. Allen is averaging 17.4 ppg in the playoffs and an impressive 42.5 percent from long range. Much like Carter, his marksmanship can take over a game when he heats up. The sweet-stroking Allen still can come off the screen like few others, has a lightning-quick trigger and is not afraid to take the big shot. Although aging, Allen is also an underrated defender.
EDGE: EVEN
CENTER: The only thing that stops Dwight Howard these days is the whistle. A monster inside that can dominate any game, Howard has to forget about the referees and just play his game. The two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year finished the regular season leading the league in both rebounding and blocked shots for the second straight season, a feat never done before. To control the double-double monster on the offensive end, you need to push him away from the basket, something Kendrick Perkins or Rasheed Wallace just can't do. Defensively, Howard changes shots like few others.
Perkins doesn't have the quickness or athleticism to give Howard much trouble but he is the Celtics' best pure rebounder and is a solid shot blocker in his own right. Perkins has also developed enough of an offensive game to do a nice job on put-back garbage points.
EDGE: MAGIC
SMALL FORWARD: Matt Barnes was the biggest surprise for Orlando this season, taking over the starting job and turning into a solid role player. A pesky defender, Barnes also developed a solid stand-still, three-pointer from the weak-side this season but he is a limited offensive player.
"They have him here for the Joe Johnsons, Kobe Bryants and big scorers," former NBA star Kevin McHale said of Barnes. "He's not afraid to go out there and mix it up with them."
Boston counters with Pierce, the team's go-to-guy down the stretch of close games. The 2008 NBA Finals MVP was once again the Celtics' leading scorer this year and "The Truth" is also one of the game's best finishers and a very underrated defender. Pierce's vaunted body control also enables him to draw fouls at a breakneck pace, enabling him to march to the foul line again and again. He is likely thrilled to get past James, however. Pierce struggled offensively against Cleveland but had to expend a ton of energy on the defensive end, checking LeBron. That won't be an issue with Barnes.
EDGE: CELTICS
POWER FORWARD: Rashard Lewis isn't your prototypical power forward but the 6- foot-10 veteran is a matchup nightmare for most clubs. The former All-Star still has one of the best strokes in the game but can now put that in his pocket and spend more time on the blocks. His weaknesses are rebounding and low-post defense but his ability to stretch the floor on the offensive end more than makes up for that. In fact, when Lewis is stroking the three at a high level, Orlando is almost impossible to match up with it.
Garnett is one of the best power forwards of all-time. He's clearly on the downside of a spectacular career but Garnett has been incredibly efficient this postseason and clearly has enough left in his bag of tricks to make things difficult for a player like Lewis on the offensive end. The questions are at the other end, where it's hard to imagine Garnett matching up with Lewis outside, meaning Rivers will have to be creative at times.
"Over the course of the season I've been fortunate to be healthy and I can honestly say I've gotten stronger," Garnett said. "The playoffs come around, and it's time to pick it up another notch and that's all I've been trying to do. Nothing more than that. It's no secret, I take care of my body. I'm a workaholic when it comes to trying to better myself."
EDGE: EVEN
BENCH: Mickael Pietrus is inconsistent. One minute he can be Van Gundy's whipping boy and the next he is brilliant, burying big three after big three and playing lockdown defense on the wing. An extremely athletic player, Pietrus will also get opportunities to defend Pierce, Allen and Rondo in this series.
Big man Marcin Gortat tends to be very important, especially when Howard gets in foul trouble. Gortat is one of the NBA's best backup centers and is skilled enough to hold down the fort. Veteran point Jason Williams, sharp-shooter J.J. Redick and forward Ryan Anderson round out Van Gundy's very solid rotation.
"The players on the Orlando bench genuinely enjoy other's success," McHale said. "That is when you are a team. When in your heart you enjoy when your teammates do well. They really enjoy each other and wish for each other to have success. That is what championship caliber teams do."
Rivers mixed and matched his bench all year but has seemed to settle on Big Baby Davis and Tony Allen along with veterans Wallace and Michael Finley for the postseason. Davis provides offense inside and some toughness while Allen brings athleticism and a defensive mindset. Wallace and Finley aren't going to be consistent at this stage of the game but can step up and hurt you at key moments.
"At the end of the day everybody has a role," Allen said. "[Doc Rivers says] 'do your role, do your role 100 percent.'"
EDGE: EVEN
COACHING: Van Gundy proved he was one of the game's best tacticians during last year's playoff run and continues to be one of the premier X's and O's guys in the game. Rivers, meanwhile, has never been regarded as a great chess player but he has done a wonderful job melding the egos of three superstars, and managing personalities may be the most important job of an NBA coach. Rivers' lead assistant, Tom Thibodeau, may be the best pure defensive coach in basketball.
EDGE: EVEN
PREDICTION: The Magic are the more rested, younger and deeper team. They are also almost impossible to match up with when they stretch the floor and the threes are falling.
Boston is aging but proved they have a lot left in the tank when they dismantled top-seeded Cleveland. The Celtics' Tony Allen is the wild card for me. He spent the last series chasing LeBron James all over the floor. Now, he will have to close out on the Magic shooters consistently from game to game for Boston to have a shot.
In the end, the Orlando shooters will get it done.
"The thing that is unique about Orlando is that they have so many players that can shoot threes," McHale said. "If one or two guys go through a tough period in a game or in a series, it doesn't matter because they can come in with another guy and find someone that is hot from the three point line."
MAGIC in 6.
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It's less than a month until the NHL hockey betting season opens at MySportsbook.com and preparations are underway for another battle in the race to hoist Lord Stanley's mug in 2007.
As cup crazy fans prepare to place their bets, one online sportsbook ,MySportsbook.com, is offering hockey betting lines on the 2007/2007 Stanley Cup , who will bring it home this upcoming season.
Despite a poor showing in last season's playoffs and the loss of Steve Yzerman to retirement, the Detroit Red Wings are early favourites at this online sportsbook with wagering odds of 6-1. The Wings will look to offensive powerhouse Pavel Datsyuk and newly appointed captain Nicklas Lidstrom to lead one of the league's most prominent franchises.
Always a threat are the Ottawa Senators, with newly acquired goaltender Martin Gerber from the Stanley Cup champion ,Carolina Hurricanes. The Sens are second best in the rankings at a 7-1 bet, and odds makers at this sportsbook are optimistic that the Ottawa squad will fare better than last season's Eastern Conference semi-final upset to the Buffalo Sabres.
Also worth noting are the defending Stanley Cup champs Carolina Hurricanes, a 10-1 bet to repeat. Behind the Canes are the New Jersey Devils, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Anaheim Mighty Ducks all sit at 12-1. In the basement are the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues who all have 100-1 odds to win.
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My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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